Grease: Meet the Leads
In the lead up to our 2022 College Musical Grease, we invite you to meet the talented actors who make up our lead cast.
To see these students in action, book your tickets now: www.corpus.wa.edu.au/grease
Danny
Declan Cooper
Year 12 Pallotti
Declan is a Year 12 student who is a highly accomplished performer both within and outside of the College. He has held leadership positions for both Pallotti House (2017 and 2019) and the Arts (2020-2022). He has been a member of multiple music, dance, and drama performances during his time at the College. In 2021 Declan wowed audiences in the title role in Monkey! and in 2019 starred as Gaston in the College’s performance of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.
Outside of the College, Declan has had roles in productions such as: Stagecoach’s Guys and Dolls, The Addams Family, Bye Bye Birdie and Mean Girls; WA Opera’s Tosca; APAN’s Jersey to Motown and Shrek; and Tudor Theatricals’ Seussical and The Little Mermaid.
Declan encouraged all students to audition for future productions: “In my opinion there is no greater opportunity in high school to do a musical. As well as it being a fantastic way to meet new people and learn skills, what I have found is it’s something that you will never forget. The memories you make and the laughs you have will stay with you the rest of your life. When I’m 40 and I look back at my days at Corpus I will remember these shows, the excitement, the enthusiasm, the late-night rehearsals and of course, above all, the fun. I would recommend all students to give it a go, because you may just find the magic of being on stage, but also the magic behind the curtain which will give you memories and friendships that will always be with you.”
Kenickie (T-Birds)
Killian Jordan-Keane
Year 12 de Vialar
Killian makes his drama debut for our 2022 production of Grease. The Year 12 student is not unfamiliar to being on stage though, having been involved in the music program during his time at the College and performing in many of our music events over the years. Killian has also been an Arts Leader in 2020 and 2021.
He described the show as “scintillating” and said, ”I’m most excited for the adrenaline rush of the night. The nerves will be very high, but I find the rush that is shared with the cast very enjoyable – like I’m really alive.”
Roger (T-Birds)
Joshua Diaz
Year 10 Romero
Year 10 student Joshua is back for his second production after impressing audiences in his debut performance as Buddha in last year’s Monkey! He has also shared his leadership skills with the College as both an Arts Leader (2021-2022) and Romero House Representative (2019-2020).
When questioned about any similarities to his character, he said, “My character Roger and I both have the tendency to be foolish and awkward at times. We both throw ourselves into potentially embarrassing situations, but we have learnt to not feel humiliated but to instead have good laugh about it. We also both lighten up our friendship groups, being a clown who enjoys mucking about and trying to always see the positive side of things. Our athleticism and emotive bodies help us to dance, even if we don’t know how to, and have a good time with great company.”
Doody (T-Birds)
Connor Bennett
Year 12 Pallotti
Grease is Connor’s third production with the College. He brings experience from lead roles such as Fish Dragon Sandy in Monkey! (2021) and Lefou in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (2019) to entertain audiences. As a Year 12 student he has had many years of involvement in other arts areas as well, including music and dance.
A funny memory he recalls from rehearsals is himself and Roger (Joshua Diaz) having a running joke of saying ‘honkey tonk’ whenever they see each other. When asked three reasons people should come to the show, he answered in true T-bird fashion:
“1. It’s automatic
2. It’s systematic
3. It’s hydromatic.”
Sonny (T-Birds)
Xavier Petta
Year 9 Salvado
Our youngest cast member of the T-birds, Year 9 student Xavier makes his debut acting performance for Grease! Although it is his first time acting, he is very comfortable on stage, having performed as an electric guitarist as part of the College music program and in his rock band – which students may remember from our annual talent quest! He has been an Arts Leader in 2020 and 2022 and a Salvado House Representative in 2021. Outside of the College, Xavier has been involved in dancing at Val Heston and TDC and encourages other students to get involved in performing, whether it is dancing, acting or playing an instrument.
When asked to pick one word to describe the show, he said, “Just as Danny Zuko describes greased lighting, the word ‘Ultramatic’ is how I would describe the show. In Grease there is something for everyone – great music, dance and comedy. What more could anyone ask for?”
Sandy
Siarne Scarfo
Year 12 Merici
Siarne is a Year 12 student and former Arts Leader (2017) who is no stranger to the stage. Her vocal prowess is regularly on display as both a soloist and choir member at College assemblies, masses and Merici House days. Siarne performed in the 2019 College musical production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast in the role of Chip.
When asked of her similarities to her character, she shared: “Sandy and I are similar. Sandy has concrete beliefs that stand throughout the show despite, peer pressure and social expectations placed on her. Being a Year 12 ATAR student, I relate directly to this and can appreciate how difficult that can be at times. Many of my values are not shared with my peers, and although I am accepted, I am often challenged. I admire Sandy for standing her ground and her open-mindedness in reconsidering her credences as she grows and matures as a person.”
Marty (Pink Ladies)
Bella Cross
Year 12 Xavier
As our current Year 12 Drama Captain, Bella has been heavily involved in the arts during her time at the College. She was an Arts Leader in 2020 and has participated in the Inter-house play for Xavier House, as well as year level and whole school productions which included a lead role in Monkey! as Tripitaka and an ensemble role in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.
Bella shared the main reasons people should come to the shows: “The main reason is… well it’s Grease. It’s such an iconic show that everyone loves, and it has so many fun homages to the movie that many Grease fans will appreciate and have a laugh at. It’s also got some insane musical numbers that have been so much fun to learn and, in particular, the Hand Jive is definitely a reason to see the show as a standout scene alone. The amount of effort that has been put into this show is also another reason to see it – the countless amounts of hours we have all put into rehearsals has definitely paid off. Overall, the show is just as fun watching as it is performing, so it’s a must see!”
Rizzo (Pink Ladies)
Sabina Vicoli
Year 12 Merici
Our 2022 Head Girl Sabina makes her drama debut this year for Grease! Although she may have never performed on stage in front of an audience, her co-directing for Merici in the Inter-house Play and her current and previous leadership roles as a Merici House Representative (2017-2018 and 2021) will no doubt hold her in good stead for her first show.
When asked what has surprised her most about the production she shared: “Coming into this production, I had no expectations or idea of what it was all about. I think what has shocked me the most is just how exciting the whole experience is! First of all, the cast are absolutely amazing! The friendships I have built from this experience are something I hold really close to my heart – something I was not expecting to gain from this. The dynamic between the T-Birds and Pink Ladies especially is just so special and I am so proud of how hard everyone has worked. I am so impressed by how talented everyone is and how much effort and hard work goes into making a production this extravagant!”
Frenchie (Pink Ladies)
Indy Leech
Year 11 Merici
Year 11 student Indy is a keen arts student and another one of our triple threat students – skilled in dancing, singing, and acting. She has been a member of the College Choir and a vocal student since 2018, performed as part of Dance Company and Dance Collective at numerous events, and had roles in the College productions of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (2019) and Monkey! (2021).
Indy explained three main reasons our community should come to the shows: “Firstly, the show Grease is an overall entertaining event as it engages with all members of the audience. There is comedy and drama while showcasing a range of vocal performances and dances. Secondly, Grease highlights the talents at Corpus, allowing the audience to see the performance skills of the students from Years 8-12. It shows everyone is capable of participating and showcasing their talent. Lastly, coming to see this show can spark the interest in students to take their first steps onto the stage for future productions at Corpus.”
Jan (Pink Ladies)
Alice Herbert
Year 9 Merici
Though she may be the youngest cast member of the Pink Ladies, Year 9 student Alice holds her own as Jan. In the past three years she has held the role of Arts Leader (2022) and Merici House Representative (2020-2021) and has performed in our Music Nights, Dance Galas and 2021 production of Monkey!
Prior to commencing at the College she was in a number of external productions, including: Snow Queen (2014); Oliver! (2015); Suessical (2016 and 2019); The Little Mermaid (2017); Peter Pan (2018); and Kid Frankenstein (2019).
She was enthusiastic about the performance: “It’s so exciting and I hope you enjoy watching it as much as I enjoy being up on stage. The costumes, lighting, stage set and song numbers – everything is phenomenal and it’s a very jam-packed musical, so it is going to be a fun one to perform and a very fun one to watch.”